Reggie Wilson (92) and Kenny Vaccaro get a stop at the line of Andrew Buie as Texas hosts West Virginia at Darrel K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin on October 6, 2012. (San Antonio Express-News)

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Safety search

The Cowboys need help at safety and already have scheduled an interview with Texas’ Kenny Vaccaro at Valley Ranch, but there’s a good chance he’ll be already gone when Dallas is on the clock with the 18th overall draft pick. Express-News staff writer Tom Orsborn lists four other safeties Dallas could be eyeing in the second or third rounds:

Eric Reid: An explosive hitter for LSU, this underclassman was a first-team All-SEC choice in 2012.

Matt Elam: A playmaker who was at his best for the Florida Gators in big games.

Phillip Thomas: Missed the 2011 season at Fresno State with a broken left leg and dislocated ankle, but injury histories didn’t stop Cowboys from drafting linebackers Sean Lee and Bruce Carter.

Tony Jefferson: This underclassman from Oklahoma gets high marks for his versatility, high motor and football IQ.

INDIANAPOLIS — Former Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro sees himself as the answer to the NFL's new breed of ultra-athletic tight ends.

In other words, he believes he's worthy of a top-10 draft pick, a label rarely slapped on a safety.

“I think people are starting to appreciate safeties more, now that tight ends are turning into freaks and controlling the middle of the field,” said Vaccaro, referring to Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Vernon Davis and other young, talented tight ends.

“You've got to have a safety who can cover and come up and hit.”

Scouts believe Vaccaro fits that description perfectly.

Considered the top prospect in a deep safety class, Vaccaro could wind up as the highest drafted Longhorn since the man he replaced, Earl Thomas, went 14th overall to Seattle in 2010.

In need of a playmaker at the back end of defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 defense, the Dallas Cowboys already have lined up an interview with Vaccaro at Valley Ranch.

“If there is a need on defense, to me, the biggest need is going to be safety,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Only one problem: Vaccaro might be gone before the Cowboys are on the clock with the No. 18 pick.

“It's the best safety class I've seen in years, with a bunch of first-round guys,” NFL.com draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “Vaccaro is a really good football player. I'd be surprised if he gets past the top 15 or so, which is pretty high for a safety.”

Asked if he is the best safety in the draft, Vaccaro said, “I bring the most to the table.”

It's hard to argue against that claim. A two-time first-team All-Big 12 pick, Vaccaro was the best performer for a bad defense last season, recording a career-best 107 tackles and five takeaways, including two interceptions.

“Vaccaro's the one where the more tape I watch, the more I like him,” Mayock said. “They played him closer to the line of scrimmage this year. He covered a bunch of slot (receivers) this year, watched him cover Tavon Austin from West Virginia, and that's rare. In today's world, that's rare, and that's important.”

Said Vaccaro: “Me and Tavon were going at it all game. I would say he's one of the most explosive players in the country, and I'd say I was right there with him.”

The 6-foot, 214-pound Vaccaro also pointed to his versatility as proof of his coverage skills.

“I played both safeties, strong and free,” he said. “I played nickel. I played dime. In some instances, I played corner.”

A student of the game, Vaccaro believes he will do just fine quarterbacking an NFL secondary.

“I understand concepts,” he said. “I can line guys up.”

Before traveling to Indianapolis for the scouting combine, Vaccaro received advice from his uncle, former Clemens and Southwest Texas State standout A.J. Johnson, who played cornerback in the NFL for seven seasons and was a member of the 1991 Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins.

“He just told me, 'Be you, and you'll be fine,'” Vaccaro said.

More words of wisdom came from Thomas.

“Me and Earl talk all the time,” Vaccaro said. “He's just constantly reminding me to do my thing. ... I just try to mold my game around his passion for the game. My freshman year, I used to watch him run around the field, practicing full speed, full intensity. So I try to model my game after his.”